Take care: Warnings can be real or scam as well

I just wanted to point out that there are not only real and honest warnings out there. What starts as a warning can very well lead to a recovery scam. But then there are real warnings. So if you received a warning, best practise would be to send a short thank you mail and stop all contact with the scammer then. Do not try to recover you money through people who contact you by e-mail. And if in doubt about a warning mail, just post here and ask the experts

^^^^
Good point, e6ffdyr0
Scammers do sometimes send "warnings" as a lead in to a recovery scam, but they are usually very different from a legit warning.
To help folks tell the difference, I will post one of each.

Here is a legitimate victim warning:

Dear Friend,

WARNING: You are being scammed by xxxx xxxxxxx

Scammers email address is: [email protected]

THIEVES ARE TRYING TO STEAL YOUR MONEY!!

FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS EMAIL!

I am part of a large group of people who try to keep internet crooks
from stealing money through scam emails.

An informant has told us that a scammer is sending emails to you.
This thief is trying to steal your money by Advance Fee Fraud, also
known as a 419 Scam. The money they have promised you is not real!!

PLEASE, DO NOT SEND THIS LETTER TO THE SCAMMERS, AND DO NOT TELL THEM
THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

This would keep us from warning other good people, and might put our
informants in danger!

There are many kinds of 419 scams, but most will say things like:
*The scammer will share millions of dollars with you, if you help
them move the money out of their country.
*You will get an email saying that you won a lottery that you didn't
buy a ticket for
*The scam is about a dead person's bank account.
*They may ask you to set up a bank account to get money.
*They will ask for your name, address, and phone number.
*They will usually set you up with a lawyer, or 'barrister' who will
handle the paperwork
*They will send you "official paperwork" and certificates to prove
that the money is real. These are all fake.
*They will want you to send money for 'fees'. A fee for papers, a fee
for the transfer, the lawyers fee, more fees…etc…etc.
*They may offer you a "loan" to pay the fees. The check or money order
they will send you is fake, even if your bank cashes the check or
tells you that it "cleared"!!!! The bank will find out in a few days or
weeks that the check is fake, and will make you pay all of the money
back, even the money you sent to the scammer. The bank might even have
you arrested for cashing a bad check.

The money the thieves promise you isn't real. When you have sent them
all of your money, they will be gone.

To learn about email crime and 419 scams, please go to these sites:
http://www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml
http://www.met.police.uk/fraudalert/419.htm

I ask you to do these things:

1. DO NOT SEND THIS LETTER TO THE SCAMMERS, AND DO NOT TELL THEM THAT
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Our informants could be hurt or killed if you
tell the scammers that they are being watched! These people risk their
safety in order to get us the information needed to keep people from
being scammed.

2. Please stop mailing and talking to with these crooks now. Do not
answer e-mails, and do not talk to them on the phone. Do not ask
them if they are trying to steal your money. What do you think thieves
will say? They will only send you more lies so you will send them your
money.

3. DO NOT send him any money, and NEVER go to meet them! Victims of
419 scams who travel to meet the scammers have been kidnapped, held
for ransom, and sometimes killed!

4. DO NOT try to confront, abuse, or argue with these scammers, as
they may already have your name and address.

5. Please send me an e-mail letting me know that you have stopped
talking with these thieves.

If you doubt the truth of this warning, please print out a copy of
this email, and any emails that you have gotten from this scammer,
and take them to your local police. They will tell you the truth
about this scam.

Sincerely

Note that this warning:
* flat out tells a person that there is NO money
* contains links to informational websites where one can learn more about scams
* suggests that the recipient go to the police with all emails and ask their opinion
* (most importantly) makes NO claims about being able to recover money that is lost.

These are some of the things that show this to be a valid warning. The only request made (beyond ceasing communication with the scammers, of course) is simple acknowledgment from the victim that they have received the mail and understand that they may be involved with internet scammers.

In contrast, here is a "warning" sent by a scammer. The "warning" is used as a lead in to a scam, as the passages I've highlighted show:

Attention!

This email is being sent to you today, as a result of the scam alert warning which your email address signaled to our computer database today, with strong indication that you currently MIGHT be in a business transaction where you are a SCAM VICTIM unknowingly.

With slim chances that our prediction can be wrong, please kindly take time to answer these questions outlined below quickly;

1. Are you in a business transaction case, where you have been approached to claim millions of (United States Dollars, British Pound Sterlings, Euros, e.t.c.), with a huge reward of a particular percentage of the complete fund amount to go to you?

2. Are you in a business transaction case, where you have been approached by a lottery company with claims that you have successfully won millions of (United States Dollars, British Pound Sterlings, Euros, e.t.c.)?

3. Are you in a business transaction case, where you have been approached and promised to be assisted in having an overdue contract award funds that is supposely your's, to be successfully released to you without further hitches or delays, provided you comply with every instruction that you receive?

4. Are you in a business transaction case where you have been promised to receive large sums of money in excess of millions of (United States Dollars, British Pound Sterlings, Euros, e.t.c.), as a reward for your simple assistance?

5. Are you in a business transaction case where you were approached and promised to be awarded a contract worth millions or billions of (United States Dollars, British Pound Sterlings, Euros, e.t.c.)?

If you do not find yourself in any of the category as outlined above, please kindly dismiss our scam alert on your email address, and discard this message immediately, as our predictions have turned out to be false, where we sincerely apologize for any inconveniences this message might have caused you, but if you have a friend who fits into any of the category as outlined above, the best you can do for him/her is to forward this e-mail to him/her immediately, so as to enable him/her receive assistance free of charge immediately.

If you find yourself in any of the category outlined above, YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ ON VERY CAREFULLY, as there is a 99.99% chance that you are currently a victim of fraud/scam, run by notorious criminals known as con artists, with the sole aim of scamming and ripping you off your very hard earned funds!! But there is super good news, as you can receive immediate and a complete free of charge assistance from our department, where we can assist you in tracking down these con artists, have them brought to justice, and retrieve any monies in complete amounts that you have been scammed out of, in a maximum of twenty four (24) hours only, by using our new advanced scam combat techniques, but before we proceed, please honestly answer the final question outlined below, in-order to determine if you are eligible for our assistance.

ELIGIBILITY QUESTION: DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOUR BUSINESS TRANSACTION CASE YOU IS REAL?, AND IF YES, HAVE YOU MADE ANY PAYMENTS OF MONIES IN ADVANCE FOR A MANDATORY FEE?

IF YOUR ANSWER TO THESE TWO QUESTIONS ARE NO, THEN YOU DO NOT ELIGIBLE FOR OUR ASSISTANCE, AS YOU DO NOT REQUIRE IT, WHERE YOU ARE ADVISED TO BE VERY WEARY OF SCAM AND CON ARTISTS THAT ARE SERIOUSLY INFECTING THE INTERNET WORLD AT THIS CURRENT TIME FRAME.

IF YOUR ANSWER TO ANY OF THE QUESTIONS OUTLINED ABOVE IS YES, THEN YOU ARE 100% ELLIGIBLE FOR OUR ASSISTANCE.

There are two (3) categories for eligible persons, we have;

CATEGORY ONE (1): This category are for persons who are in a business transaction that they believe is real, but want to determine its validity (i.e Whether the business transaction case is actually real or not).

CATEGORY TWO (2): This category are for persons who are in a business transaction that they believe is real and have already invested their monies into the business transaction as fees, and now want to determine its validity (i.e Whether the business transaction case is actually real or not).

CATEGORY THREE (3): This category are for persons who are in a business transaction that they believe is probably not real, and have already invested their monies into the business transaction, and want to determine its validity, and retrieve all their paid monies immediately.

AS PREVIOUSLY RELATED ABOVE, WE CAN ASSIST YOU BY DETERMINING THE VALIDITY OF YOUR BUSINESS TRANSACTION, LOCATE AND BRING TO JUSTICE THE CON ARTISTS, AND HAVE YOU RECEIVE ALL YOUR PAID MONIES IN A MAXIMUM OF TWENTY FOUR (24) HOURS ONLY, FROM THE EXACT TIME FRAME WE INITIATE OUR ASSISTANCE PROCESS, ALL FREE OF CHARGE AS IT IS YOUR RIGHT, AND THIS APPLIES TO ANY CITIZEN OF ANY COUNTRY OR LOCATION.

To initiate our assistance process immediately, our elligible persons are to comply with the directives as outlined below; WARNING: DO NOT PROCEED WITH YOUR SUSPICIOUS BUSINESS TRANSACTION UNTIL WE HAVE SCRUTINIIZED YOUR CASE AND REVERTED BACK TO YOU. DIRECTIVES FOR CATEGORY ONE (1) PERSONS:

If you are a Category one (1) person, you are instructed to furnish us immediately with our requirements as outlined below, via our secured email address by clicking the hyperlink CONTACT US SECURELY, or via our secured fax by using the number (+ 44 700 593 1047 ), while indicating that you are a Category one (1) person.

REQUIREMENTS:
1. YOUR COMPLETE LEGAL NAME.
2. YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE.
3. YOUR ACCURATE CONTACT DETAILS (MOBILE/LAND TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBERS) SO AS TO ENABLE US REACH YOU VERY SECURELY IF THE NEED ARISES.
4. THE COMPLETE NAMES OF THE PERSONS OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES INVOLVED IN YOUR BUSINESS TRANSACTION, WITH THEIR ACCURATE CONTACT DETAILS (EMAIL, MOBILE/LAND TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBERS).
5. A COPY OF THE FIRST LETTER, FAX OR EMAIL YOU RECEIVED FROM THE PERSONS OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES INVOLVED IN YOUR BUSINESS TRANSACTION.

DIRECTIVES FOR CATEGORY TWO (2) PERSONS:
If you are a Category two (2) person, you are instructed to furnish us immediately with our requirements as outlined below, via our secured email address by clicking the hyperlink CONTACT US SECURELY, or via our secured fax by using the number (+ 44 700 593 1047 ), while indicating that you are a Category two (2) person.

REQUIREMENTS:
1. YOUR COMPLETE LEGAL NAME.
2. YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE.
3. YOUR ACCURATE CONTACT DETAILS (MOBILE/LAND TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBERS) SO AS TO ENABLE US REACH YOU VERY SECURELY IF THE NEED ARISES.
4. THE COMPLETE NAMES OF THE PERSONS OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES INVOLVED IN YOUR BUSINESS TRANSACTION, WITH THEIR ACCURATE CONTACT DETAILS (EMAIL, MOBILE/LAND TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBERS).
5. A COPY OF THE FIRST LETTER, FAX OR EMAIL YOU RECEIVED FROM THE PERSONS OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES INVOLVED IN YOUR BUSINESS TRANSACTION.
6. THE EXACT TOTAL AMOUNT YOU HAVE INVESTED.

DIRECTIVES FOR CATEGORY THREE (3) PERSONS:
If you are a Category three (3) person, you are instructed to furnish us immediately with our requirements as outlined below, via our secured email address by clicking the hyperlink CONTACT US SECURELY, or via our secured fax by using the number (+ 44 700 593 1047 ), while indicating that you are a Category three (3) person.

REQUIREMENTS:
1. YOUR COMPLETE LEGAL NAME.
2. YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE.
3. YOUR ACCURATE CONTACT DETAILS (MOBILE/LAND TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBERS) SO AS TO ENABLE US REACH YOU VERY SECURELY IF THE NEED ARISES.
4. THE COMPLETE NAMES OF THE PERSONS OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES INVOLVED IN YOUR BUSINESS TRANSACTION, WITH THEIR ACCURATE CONTACT DETAILS (EMAIL, MOBILE/LAND TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBERS).
5. A COPY OF THE FIRST LETTER, FAX OR EMAIL YOU RECEIVED FROM THE PERSONS OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES INVOLVED IN YOUR BUSINESS TRANSACTION.
6. THE EXACT TOTAL AMOUNT YOU HAVE INVESTED.
7. EVIDENCE OF YOUR PAYMENT OF MONIES.

If you have accurately furnished us with our requirements as instructed and outlined above via our secured e-mail or fax number as accurately outlined above, please kindly allow us a maximum of twenty four (24) hours only, to receive our revert in line to your category selection.

Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

THE ANTI-SCAM DEPARTMENT TEAM,
BRITISH SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE,
UNITED KINGDOM.

In contrast to the above real warning, this one purports to be from a government agency. Many of these fake warnings come from scammers pretending to be the EFCC, Scotland Yard, the FBI, or another law enforcement agency.

Things that mark this as a fake warning include:
* poor spelling and grammar
* an offer to verify the "validity" of a "business deal"
* the claim of being able to arrest the scammers
* the promise to recover any money sent to the scammers
* the request for a victim's "complete details"
* the phone number that is a UK forwarding number

The bottom line is that a real warning will state the fact that there is NO inheritance, there is no NO real business deal worth millions, and will make NO promises as regards arresting the scammers or recovering money already sent. The fact of the matter is that arrests are very rare, and recovering money sent to the scammers is even more rare.

Remember, a legit warner will NEVER ask a victim for money for any reason. Not one red cent, ever. Anyone who does is NOT a legitimate victim warner.

Here is a legitimate victim warning:
* contains links to informational websites where one can learn more about scams

Just as an extra note though some recovery scammers do include links to legitimate law enforcement or anti-scam websites like the EFCC or the 419 Coalition in their Emails to try and add credence to their story.

Click here for an example .

I think the money question is the most obvious single point to seperate recovery scams from genuine warnings. Very good you pointed that out!

Personally, as a baiter I have received two warnings myself so far. One was from a very experienced member from this circle, the other one was another volunteer from another group. Both resembled very much, if not word for word, our first example above. No one ever mentioned a request for money in order to help, nor did he ask for my other personal details.